Park Chan-Wook to Preside Over 79th Cannes Film Festival Jury
#Park Chan-Wook#Cannes Film Festival#Jury President#South Korean Cinema#Palme d'Or#Film Industry#Cultural Diversity#Oldboy
📌 Key Takeaways
Park Chan-Wook appointed as president of 79th Cannes Film Festival jury
Succeeds French actress Juliette Binoche in the prestigious role
Has extensive history with Cannes, winning multiple awards for his films
Appointment highlights growing influence of Asian cinema in global film landscape
📖 Full Retelling
Park Chan-wook, the acclaimed South Korean director, screenwriter and producer, has been appointed to preside over the jury of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, succeeding French actor Juliette Binoche. The announcement was made on February 25, 2026, marking a significant moment for Asian representation at one of the world's most prestigious film festivals. Park's appointment follows Binoche's tenure as jury president, whose panel awarded the Palme d'Or to Jafar Panahi's Iranian drama 'It Was Just an Accident' during the previous edition. Known for his distinctive baroque and subversive cinematic style, Park Chan-wook brings a wealth of experience with the Cannes Film Festival to his new role. The South Korean filmmaker first gained international recognition at Cannes in 2004 when his feature debut 'Oldboy' was presented in competition and won the Grand Prize, later achieving cult status worldwide. Since then, Park has maintained a strong presence at the festival, returning to the competition with most of his subsequent films, including 'Thirst,' which received the Jury Prize in 2009, the acclaimed erotic thriller 'The Handmaiden' in 2016, and 'Decision to Leave,' which won the Best Director award in 2022.
🏷️ Themes
Film Festivals, International Cinema, Cultural Representation
The Cannes Film Festival is considered the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around the world. Founded in 1946, the invitation-only festival is held annually (usually in May) at the Palais des F...
Cultural diversity is the quality of diverse or different cultures, as opposed to monoculture. It has a variety of meanings in different contexts, sometimes applying to cultural products like art works in museums or entertainment available online, and sometimes applying to the variety of human cultu...
The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post-production, film festivals, distribution, and actors. Tho...
Feb 25, 2026 8:00pm PT Park Chan-Wook to Preside Over 79th Cannes Film Festival Jury By Elsa Keslassy Plus Icon Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent @elsakeslassy Latest Anthony Chen’s Berlin Competition Film ‘We Are All Strangers’ Scores Major Worldwide Deals for Paradise City Sales 2 days ago Bérénice Bejo, Léa Drucker and Swann Arlaud Among 4,000 French Actors Slamming AI as a ‘Devouring Hydra’ Engaged in ‘Organized Plundering’ 2 days ago Statue of Liberty Origin Film in the Works With ‘The Intouchables’ Producers 5 days ago See All Park Chan-wook will preside over the jury of the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival . The celebrated South Korean director, screenwriter and producer will succeed French actor Juliette Binoche, whose jury handed the Palme d’Or to Jafar Panahi’s Iranian drama “It Was Just an Accident.” Known for his baroque and subversive work, Park has a long history with Cannes. He presented his feature debut, “Oldboy,” at the 2004 festival, where it won the Grand Prize and later became a cult film. He’s returned to the competition with most of his films since then, including “Thirst,” which picked up the Jury Prize in 2009, “The Handmaiden” in 2016 and “Decision to Leave,” which won best director in 2022. Related Stories Tax Season Just Got a Lot Easier For Small Business Owners Thanks to Intuit's Automated Payroll Platform (And It's Currently 50% Off)
